Henry VIII - government and parliament

Question 1

How did the role of the Privy Chamber extend?

Answer 1

The king’s minions became gentlemen of the Privy chamber
Wolsey removed them in 1519

Question 2

What brought an end to the first conciliar government?

Answer 2

Henry became disenchanted with some of his father’s advisors reluctance to support a war in France
He began asserting his right to control decision making
He surrounded himself with like-minded courtiers
He relied on Wolsey

Question 3

What was the court of the chancery?

Answer 3

Wolsey used the court to uphold fair justice
However it became too popular and justice was slow
Used to deal with enclosure, contracts and land

Question 4

What was the court of the star chamber?

Answer 4

Wolsey extended it from 1516 and increase cheap and fair justice.
He encouraged it to be used for private lawsuits
Forced to create overflow tribunals

Question 5

How did Wolsey change how subsidies were collected?

Answer 5

Wolsey created and headed a national committee instead of using local commissioners.
Revenue base became much more realistic.

Question 6

What were the Eltham ordinances?

Answer 6

1526 - reformed the finances of the Privy council. Wolsey reduced number of Gentlemen in the Privy Chamber. He was able to remove the Groom of the Stool.

Question 7

Why couldn’t the Pope grant Henry an annulment?

Answer 7

Rome had been sacked by the troops of Charles V so the Pope was effectively a prisoner. He was Catherine’s nephew.

Question 8

What were the weaknesses of the church?

Answer 8

Weakened by humanism - criticisms by Colet and Erasmus
The church’s claim to legal supremacy had been challenged in 1528 by Christopher St German
Henry’s divorce was justified by Crammer
Henry received a number of expert opinions from a number of continental universities, some of which were favourable to his position

Question 9

What was the clergy collectively accused of?

Answer 9

Praemunire in 1531
The clergy were forced to acknowledge that the king was ‘Protector and Supreme head of the English church’

Question 10

What was the Act in Conditional Restraint of Annates?

Answer 10

1532
Increased pressure on the papacy by conditionally withholding the first year’s income from the office of bishop which the papacy had traditionally enjoyed

Question 11

What was the supplication against the Ordinaries?

Answer 11

1532
Designed to increase anticlerical pressure within the House of Commons

Question 12

What was the Submission of the clergy?

Answer 12

1532
Former surrender of the Church’s independent law-making function.
Provoked the resignation of Thomas More as Lord Chancellor

Question 13

What was the Act in Restraint of Appeals?

Answer 13

Based on evidence in the Collecteana.
Declared the monarch had imperial jurisdiction and there could be no appeals made to the church

Question 14

What was the book written by Crammer and Foxe?

Answer 14

Collecteana Satis Copiosa
Justified the king’s divorce based on legal and historical principles

Question 15

What was the Act of Succession?

Answer 15

April 1534
Declared that:
Henry’s marriage to Catherine was void
Succession vested in the children of his marriage to Anne
Denying the validity of his marriage of Anne was treasonable
An oath should be taken to affirm acceptance of the new marriage

Question 16

What was the Act of Supremacy?

Answer 16

November 1534
Gave legislative force to the royal supremacy
Effectively accomplished the break from Rome

Question 17

What was the treason act?

Answer 17

Tightened so that treason could be committed by the spoken word
November 1534

Question 18

What was the Act Annexing First Fruit and Tenths to the Crown?

Answer 18

November 1534
Annates paid by the Bishop were intolerable when paid to the Pope, but acceptable when paid to the King. This increased the financial burden on the clergy.

Question 19

How did Thomas Cromwell fall out of favour?

Answer 19

He attempted to reconcile Henry with the League of Schmalkalden by arranging a marriage with the German Princess Anne of Cleves. She was unsuitable to Henry personally, and was unwelcome politically. The marriage was quickly annulled and Cromwell was accused of treason and heresy and executed July 1540.

Question 20

How did the nobility hold power after Cromwell?

Answer 20

Power lay temporarily with the conservatives in the Council such as Norfolk, Gardiner and Wriothesley.

Question 21

How did Cromwell increase finances?

Answer 21

1536 court of augmentations dealt with finances from the dissolution of the monasteries

Question 22

How was the church’s legal position attacked?

Answer 22

1540 act which abolished sanctuaries meant that the church could no longer shield criminals